New Delhi: The government today appointed Ashwani Lohani as the new Chairman of Railway Board replacing AK Mittal, who resigned earlier in the day in the wake of two major rail accidents within four days. A statement of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) said the government had approved the appointment of Mr Lohani as the Chairman of Railway Board. An IRSME officer of the 1980 batch, Mr Lohani is currently holding the position of CMD of Air India. Mr Lohani has four engineering degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Metallurgical and Electronics & Telecommunication from Institution of Engineers.
Besides, he also served as the DRM of Delhi Division and was the Director of National Rail Museum. Earlier taking moral responsibility, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu indicated he has offered to resign in the wake of two successive derailments. Around 74 passengers were injured, four of them critically, when the Delhi-bound 12225 Kaifiyat Express train derailed after hitting a dumper between Pata and Achalada stations on the busy Kanpur-Delhi grand trunk route under North-Central railway in the wee hours today. On August 19, around 23 passengers were killed and over 400 injured, 81 of them critically, when 14 coaches of Haridwar bound Kalinga-Utkal Express derailed near Khatauli station of Uttar Pradesh. (UNI)